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I write this reflection on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I am sure that all of us can remember where we were when we learned of those awful events, and we can recall the mixture of emotions we all felt in the hours and days that followed.

The unfolding events and persistent threats to the world in the Middle East remind us that terror is now a part of everyday life. I am reminded of this when people ask me what is different about Priory since the time I first assumed the responsibilities of Headmaster twenty years ago. I tell them that in those days we did not think about the possibility that someone might come on to our campus with the intent of doing grave harm to our students. We now have security measures in place that twenty years ago would never have been thought necessary.

The challenges we face encompass other areas of life, as we watch the unfolding tragedy of the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa. I am particularly aware of this, as a friend of mine, who is an infectious disease specialist, has untaken to travel to Liberia and spend the next several months there assisting in the efforts to control the epidemic.

The challenges which the world faces are brought close to home, as we have all experienced in these past weeks the distress in our own metropolitan community, caused by the events in Ferguson.

The world we live in can seem quite precarious; in many ways it is not very different from the world Saint Benedict found himself living in. His vision of monastic life sought to create places of peace in such a world, where people might seek God, and thus live together in a way that gave witness to the enduring reality of the presence of God in our midst. Saint Benedict’s monasteries were indeed islands of refuge.

There is a way in which our school is like that. Despite all the challenges we face, Priory is a place of security and peace, where the young men who come to us can grow in mind, body and spirit in an atmosphere that nurtures their awareness of the presence of God. Such a place can serve as a witness to the reality of God in our midst.

But it is important that such a refuge not become simply a fortress against the world. It is important that we stay connected to the world which is so in need of the healing presence of God. So we all must find ways to keep ourselves aware of and engaged in the realities of the world, and bring the pain and suffering of so many to the Lord.

One practical way to unite yourselves to the Church’s ongoing work for peace in the world is to join the monks at one of their regular Masses: Monday through Thursday at 5:45 p.m, Fridays at 8:15 a.m., Saturday at 8:45 a.m., and Sunday at 9:00 a.m.

The Church’s prayer from the Mass for the Preservation of Peace and Justice seems a fitting way to sum up all our aspirations:

“O God, who shows a father’s care for all, grant, in your mercy, that the members of the human race, to whom you have given a single origin, may form in peace a single family and always be united by a fraternal spirit.”

The format for the race changed this year with no separation between the Varsity and JV runners. While this generally helps the JV runners produce better times, it also severely crowds the starting line. More than 300 athletes packed the line awaiting the gun in a sweltering 96 degrees with a 104 heat index. Wow, what an oppressive way to begin the season! To add to the confusion, two concrete volleyball poles where in the direct line of the Priory runners who had drawn the last lane near the fence. After the coaches rolled the poles to the side, everyone was ready to begin.

A smooth start saw the hoard charge up the hill, with Priory runners trying to stay on the uphill side. There was no doubt who the competition was since Potosi and Festus (#1 an #2 in State in 2013) were are the front of the pack, with St. Genevieve and Hillsboro runners mixed in with them. Knowing that the race is not won within the first 400 meters, Priory chose to hang back just a little until the crest of the hill. By the time the runners legged it up the second long hill to the 1K mark, Jake, George and Thomas were all in the top 35 with Jake leading our pack. William was just a tad back in 45th position. Luke, and Parker rounded out our top six, with Kyle and Alex about 10 seconds behind.

These positions held solid with Jake contending in the top pack between 15th and 18th, George hanging out at 27th and Thomas a mere 5 seconds behind him in 33rd at the 2.5K mark. William and Parker were slowly moving up, each gaining five places by the 2 mile. Sweltering conditions took its toll on some athletes, but the Priory freshmen were surprising themselves by running 9th (James Coyle), 11th (Greg Rolwes) and 13th (Will Steger) for the Priory squad. By the 4K telephone pole, just before the uphill to Cannon Gate, Parker caught Luke and Alex Lowell also surged behind him.

The uphill finish on this course consists of a double hill covering 300 meters. It seems like it takes forever to spy the finish line, but the screaming fans help propel you up the hill. They cheered on Ben Naeger from St. Gen as he pulled away for the pack to become the only runner to break 17 on the course. A dynamite Festus team packed their top five in the top twelve, all under 18:37. A surprising Whitfield squad smoked the final mile to place their top five in the top 30 places, while Hillsboro and Potosi each had three runners in the top 20.

Jake led the Priory charge to the finish by nosing out a Festus runner by less than a second to take 18th. George gained two places up the final hill to finish second for us in 24th, while Tommy hung on to finish as our third runner in 31st. William (40th) nosed out his competitor by a second, while Parker (50th) gained 4 spots in the final 300 meters to complete our scoring top five.

HIGHLIGHTS: 1. As a team Priory finished 6th of 22 teams with our fifth man beating in the fifth men of all but two other squads. 2. 7 of our top 20 runners were freshmen or sophomores. 3. Jake ran 18:53 with George in 19:31 and Thomas in 19:50. 4. Convincingly beating all other Metro teams in the race. 5. 88 Priory runners completed the race even though the heat index did not drop below 103.

TO WORK ON: 1. Tightening the pack—1:47 separated our top five runners. 2. Making our move earlier in the race to stay nearer to the top runners. 3. Improving all times by at least 75 seconds on the Forest Park course, since it is much flatter and the temperature will be much cooler on Saturday.

Four of Mothers' Club president Kristina Hanley's five kids were born in three different places — Priory senior Joe in Maryland, sophomore Will in Boston, and two girls born in St. Louis. That geographic variation isn't unusual for her, though. Her story started out in New York, took her to Wisconsin, and eventually through those other places we just mentioned to St. Louis.

Born in Syracuse, Kristina's dad worked for GE and her parents refurbished and flipped houses together. Her dad's job kept them moving around, but they settled in Milwaukee when she was in 7th grade, and she stayed through high school. She went to nursing school at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, and started her career as a nurse at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee in the ICU. She met her husband Steve in Milwaukee as well. He's an alum of Marquette University.

She kept working as a nurse until they lived in Maryland, when her night shifts and Steve's traveling made things a little too crazy. Now, she says, she does "a little bit of everything," especially when it comes to her kids. "Whatever sports season it is, they're in it," she laughs, adding that her girls also perform in plays. She keeps in touch with her oldest son, Steven, '12, who's a student at Notre Dame, plays tennis, runs, and is a member of book clubs and bible study groups. She also belongs to a group of moms who say the rosary every morning after they drop their kids off at her daughters' school. It started as a way to pray for a mom who'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, but has continued even after she lost her battle with the disease. "It's a really nice way to start the day," she says.

Kristina says she's excited to "put her own twist" on the role of Mothers' Club president. "A boy's years at Priory are a journey for him, but they're a journey for mom and dad too," she says. "One of my goals is to really help foster friendships that go beyond our sons' Priory years. I've really enjoyed meeting new people and working with women I might not have it if weren't for the Mothers' Club. We've got a really neat group of moms, and the more we're involved, the more it reflects to the boys and sets and example for them."